5 Common Causes of Blocked Drains and How to Prevent Them

Posted by Melbourne Blocked Drains Plumbing on 26 Jul 2026

Blocked drains are a hassle that could cause disruption to your daily life. They can cause water damage, bad smells, or even health risks. If they’re not treated promptly blocked drains can lead to severe problems for the plumbing system, which could lead to costly repairs or replacements.

Key Takeaways

  • Blockages to drains can cause disruption to your day-to-day routine and cause problems with water, bad smells, and even health risks.
  • Fat, oil and grease buildup can accumulate on the walls of pipes causing blockages. Do not pour grease down drains or make use of hot water and soap when washing dishes.
  • Tree roots naturally extend in the ground to find nutrients, which could cause serious damages and blockages to pipes that can lead to flooding. Regularly maintain nearby trees around drainage systems by pruning them.
  • Wet towels, wipes and sanitary pads etc. could cause unpleasant odors emanating from bins and toilets. make sure to flush toilet paper down the toilet.
  • Hair

In this article, we’ll explore five causes of blocked drains and what you can do to prevent them from happening.

Cause 1: Grease, Oil and Fat Buildup

Grease, oil and fat might appear to be harmless substances to drain down the toilet, but they can build up in the pipes’ walls the pipes, creating an obstruction. As a result the water can’t flow freely through the drainpipes. The best solution is to refrain from spilling grease down the drain. Or use soap and hot water when cleaning dishes as it helps break down greasy substances.

Cause 2: Tree Roots

In time, the tree roots naturally extend into the ground seeking nutrients. This means that they grow towards underground pipes. Once inside the pipes, tree roots could cause significant damage and can completely block them, causing flooding. Therefore, it is essential that if have trees around to regularly monitor the growth of your trees around drainage systems, by trimming them in a regular manner.

Cause 3: Items that are soiled

It’s easy to assume that flushing non-biodegradable things like toilet paper, wet wipes etc. will not cause any major problems in the end, However, if a large amount of these items go into toilets, they can accumulate pushing others aside that block pipes. This can cause a bad smell to be released around the toilets and bins too! Be aware of what needs to be flushed and which shouldn’t (i. that only toilet paper should have to be flushed).

Cause 4 Hair

Additional Information

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Are you experiencing a clogged toilet, blocked shower drain, overflowing drains or an issue with your kitchen sink? We can help you sort out your drain blockage problem quickly and provide the following services:

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Clearing blocked drains can be difficult and it’s best to get a professional plumbing service involved to tackle it for you, To get your blocked drain in Melbourne cleared today, contact Melbourne Blocked Drains Plumbing now and speak to one of our friendly team members.

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